Alpine Lakes Trail

Alpine Lakes Trail is a 2.7 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Baker, Nevada that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and birding and is best used from March until October.

kid friendly

hiking

nature trips

walking

bird watching

forest

lake

river

views

wild flowers

wildlife

snow

no dogs

The three-mile Alpine Lakes Loop Trail at the end of Great Basin National Park Scenic Drive offers high elevation backcountry hiking to two small lakes that lie in the shadow of Wheeler Peak - Stella and Teresa Lakes.
The three-mile Alpine Lakes Loop Trail offers the hiker a sense of diversity found in the high elevation backcountry of Great Basin National Park. Two small lakes lie in the shadow of Wheeler Peak. Both occupy shallow depressions left behind by retreating glaciers. both are fed by snow melt and occasional summer storms. To reach Stella Lake the trail rises 400 feet from the trailhead (first right turn at the junction if taken counterclockwise) and passes through a forest of Englemann spruce, aspen and timber pine and takes you to a dramatic alpine setting with a barren sawtooth ridge rising above the surface of a smooth lake. The trail continues another mile to Teresa Lake. Above the lake, blooming primrose and shooting stars reveal a small spring. There are no fish in these lakes as they are both shallow and freeze solid in winter. The trail is a great loop for children and can be combined with the longer Bristlecone and/or Glacier trail (there is about a half mile overlap along the loop) to make a great day hike. Begin at the Bristlecone Parking Area, near Wheeler Peak Campground.

Great Basin National Park is located in east central Nevada, five miles west of the town of Baker.
The nearest airport is located in Ely, NV, 70 miles away, or Cedar City, Utah, 142 miles away. Major airports are found in Salt Lake City, Utah (234 miles) and Las Vegas, Nevada (286 miles).
From the east or west: From U.S. Highway 6 & 50, turn south on Nevada State Highway 487 and travel 5 miles to Baker, NV. In Baker turn west on Highway 488 and travel 5 miles to the park.
From the south (Utah): Travel north on Utah State Highway 21 through Milford, UT and Garrison, UT, which will become Nevada State Highway 487 as you cross the border. Turn west on Highway 488 in Baker and travel 5 miles to the park.
From the south (Nevada): Travel north on U.S. Highway 93 (Great Basin Highway). At the junction of U.S. Highway 6 & 50 drive east to Nevada State Highway 487 and turn south. Travel 5 miles to Baker, NV. In Baker turn west on Highway 488 and travel 5 miles to the park.
Public Transportation
No public transportation is available to, or in, Great Basin National Park.
Trailhead is at the end of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive: http://www.nps.gov/grba/planyourvisit/wheeler-peak-scenic-drive.htm
For more info: http://www.nps.gov/grba/planyourvisit/directions.htm

Trailhead is at the top of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive: http://www.nps.gov/grba/planyourvisit/wheeler-peak-scenic-drive.htm
Ample parking and bathroom facilities are available at the trailhead.
For more info: http://www.nps.gov/grba/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm
Also no entrance fees but you do need to fill out permit info: Day hikers are asked to sign in at trailhead registers. Permits are not required for backcountry camping, but registration is free and strongly encouraged. Registering provides rescuers with critical information in case of an emergency. Stop at a visitor center or call (775) 234-7510 for current information on trail conditions and routes. Further info: http://www.nps.gov/grba/planyourvisit/guidelines-for-backcountry-use.htm

A great, easy-going hike to some lovely viewpoints. I used this trail as an acclimatization hike to prepare for Wheeler the following day, and I think it helped tremendously. Stella lake is very striking at the base of Wheeler. Teresa lake is quite low and a little paltry in comparison, but still a nice destination. I added on the Bristlecone grove to increase the length a little. The walk between points of interest is easy and well signed.

My review is from the perspective of an amateur landscape photographer

Trail was rated as “easy” and that’s appropriate. Trail description is accurate

The best place for photography is at Stella Lake. Nice alpine lake with some foreground interest. I recommend as wide a lens as you have. I used a 19mm with a C sensor and it wasn’t wide enough to capture the scene the way I wanted.

There’s another nice location about 1/2 from the trail head. Mountains in the background with pine trees in the foreground

When I took the trail is August 2018 the water levels at the second lake were very low. If you want to minimize your hike then just do Stella Lake. But the loop is pretty easy. So if you aren’t exhausted when you get to Stella Lake I recommend you just finish the entire loop.

I went in August but there was no snow and the Aspen hasn’t changed color. Late September is probably better but it may be much colder

Did this yesterday 7/30/18 Teresa lake was very low. Stella lake was pretty but we were a little disappointed that it wasn't great to swim in. I still went in but it was only 2.5 feet deep at it's deepest and very very very soft bottom. I basically floated around trying not to touch the bottom! Still very refreshing. Highly recommend combining this loop with the Bristlecone/Rock glacier trail for a nice 7 mile hike.

Beautiful hike to Stella Lake and Teresa Lake. we did it in the late afternoon and didn't see one person the whole hike. I recommend following the creek above Teresa Lake to check out the natural spring!

Great way to walk through the forest with several sightings of at massive Wheeler Peak. High pay off rewards of this trail were the two beautiful Sub-Alpine lakes. Stella Lake is beautiful with Wheeler Peak looming atop. There's a fair amount of distance between the two lakes which makes the trail interesting. We enjoyed seeing a few families with children getting out on this trail to enjoy this beautiful National Park.

Eric R.

hiking

Saturday, November 04, 2017

This is a relatively easy hike at the top of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive within Great Basin National Park. I thought it was kind of blah, but maybe I am spoiled by some of the other lake hikes available in the Utah region. At this time of year, the lakes are pretty low as well, and they might be more impressive in the spring. I actually did the loop after starting off trying to climb Mt. Wheeler, but only made it 3 miles due to cold, thin air, and wimpiness. This hike is at a pretty high elevation, so plan accordingly if you are not used to the altitude.

I did this trail June 11th. It was fairly easy except I kept losing the trail due to all the remaining snow! The lakes were a gorgeous blue and well worth the work (and loss of direction) to get there.

I am so confused by the mileage noted here and the mileage noted on Park newspaper. You note it's 4.7 miles, park map says 2.7 out and back. Our GPS more closely resembles the park mileage. We did combine with Bristlecone trail and totaled about 4.2 miles total. Anyway, we loved this hike. We did run into snow from Stella Lake to Teresa Lake so it was a little difficult to navigate our way and also snow in Bristlecone that did get a bit slippery but was well worth it!!!

Peaceful easy hike, we combined this with the Bristle-cone trail, both doable together if you have the time. Not to crowded, considering this is probably the premier hiking area in the park ! Along with the cave this is a must do

This is a stunningly beautiful hike. Great Basin NP is REALLY out of the way, but absolutely worth the trouble. We combined this hike with the Bristlecone Pine Trail and it made for a fabulous half-day hike that got us acclimated to the altitude before we attacked Wheeler Peak the next day. This hike is very easy, but remember that you are at 10,000' which can be very stressful on some people's bodies. The track displayed on this page is for the Wheeler Peak Trail.

Great hike! We combined this with the Bristlecone Pine and Glacier trails and made a full half day out of it. Great Basin NP has done a really good job at maintaining the trail and facilities. The Alpine Lakes Trail is really nice. Teresa Lake is small and had beautiful flowers at the high end of the lake that don't look indigenous at all (something to ask a ranger). We liked Stella even better, presenting a very peaceful setting to sit on the logs or stumps and look across the lake to Wheeler Peak. The wind really picked up coming across the lake from over the ridgeline and suspect storms can blow in really fast on summer afternoons. The aspen grove along the trail was also a nice treat, as well as the boardwalks crossing the stream. We met several families with small children along the way - great for kids and picnics! I highly recommend this hike above 10000 feet!